Summary: The Rangers learn to go on, but do they go on with or without Syd?Rating: it's changed, M, for adult-themed situations.Disclaimer: I don't own PR, Disney does

Dedication: For as long as there's been Power Rangers (Mighty Morphin' to SPD) and for as long as I've watched, my absolute favorite characters have always been the Pink Rangers (yes, I actually do like Kat, just not Kat with Tommy grins). For me, it seems they're always the most underrated of the characters on the show, and the writer's could delve so much deeper into the well of potential these characters possess. This story is in dedication to each of the Pink Rangers – Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly), Catherine Sutherland (Katherine), Patricia Ja Lee (Cassie), Valerie Vernon (Kendrix), Melody Perkins (Karone), Alison MacInnis (Dana), Erin Cahill (Jen) and Alycia Purrott (Sydney). May they know that there are so many of us who look up to and respect them, and we see in them so much more than just being the damsels in distress for the big bad male Rangers to save.

AN: Yes, there will be a sequel. It's called Variations Of SPD

AN2: Chrissy, my new friend and favorite idea bouncing partner, thank you for everything, but most of all, thank you for introducing me to SPD.

AN3: Thanks to all of you readers for your support, your encouragement, the positive comments, and the constructive ones too. I look forward to hearing from all of you on future projects. May The Power Protect You.

I've seen the fires of deep division
The hearts of stone, the cold ambition
But I have found my sacred mission
To live in the world and still believe
That there is

One sky above, there is just one source of love
If I've got one chance, one choice
I'll sing it from the heart, one song, one voice
-- Brandy "One Voice" --

You're my first taste, first taste
Of the sweetest feeling I've ever known, that I've known
You're my safe place, safe place
From a world that can be so cruel and cold
You're my harbor, you're my shelter
You're that welcome smile
That lets me know I'm home

You're where I belong
I belong with you
You're where I belong
And I know it's the truth
You're part of my heart
There's nothing I can do
Oh, you're the one who keeps me warm
My baby, you're where I belong
-- Trisha Yearwood "You're Where I Belong" Stuart Little SDTK --

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, we commit this body back to the ground from hence it came."

Z shook her head, blinking back tears. It just wasn't fair, hadn't Sky been through enough the last couple of weeks, now he had to endure this too. Losing someone close to you was never easy; especially when it was someone you loved so much. Z saw tears in the Blue Ranger's eyes, something that up until a few weeks ago she never would have believed she'd see in her lifetime. The Blue Ranger had always been the stoic one of the five of them, the least likely of them to show emotion. And now he was nothing but a crying mess.

Bridge stood on Sky's right, with Z right next to him, and Jack on the other side of Z. The four of them held hands, or in Bridge's case, rested his hand on Sky's shoulder. The Green Ranger hated funerals; there were always so many conflicting emotions that it gave him a migraine headache. However, this one funeral he'd endure, for Sky.

Jack's jaw was clenched tightly for fear that the moment he let go of the control over his emotions he'd be a wreck just like Sky. He hated funerals, he hated watching people he loved loose someone they loved. It was an unpleasant matter, but Jack endured it for Sky's sake.

"The Collins family thanks you for being here, to support them in their time of mourning. A light dinner is being held at the New Tech City Country Club this afternoon; you're all invited to come." With that, the Pastor moved to speak with Wes and Jen, while the mourners filed past the casket.

"You want us to stay with you?" Z asked carefully.

Sky shook his head and pulled the Yellow Ranger into a tight hug. More than anyone, Z had helped him the last couple of days get through everything. It felt to Sky, as if Z was the sister he'd never had. Sure, he'd flirted with her endlessly when she'd first joined the academy, whether it was by arguing with her or openly flirting with her but she was like a sister to him now, and besides Bridge, she knew him and Sydney better than anyone; her reassuring presence had been appreciated.

"No, I'll be ok. You guys head back to the base, I'll meet you there. I'm not going to the country club, and my parents already know it, but I need a few moments to myself."

Jack and Bridge clapped him on the shoulders as they passed him and Z and made their ways to the SPD jeep they'd come in.

"I'll go sit with her, and I'll let you know if anything's changed."

"Thanks Z," he murmured, pecking a brotherly kiss to Z's forehead as the Yellow Ranger pulled away and went to join the others. Most of the mourners were gone; the few who remained were speaking with his parents. Sky moved forward to the casket, reached out and placed his hand on it. "I'll miss you, Grandpa."

"Well?" Z asked upon entering the infirmary. She was still in her black dress from Sky's Grandfather's funeral.

"Nothing. She's the same as when you guys left this morning," Kat told her, frowning. It had been nearly a week since Sydney had saved the team, S.P.D., and the world. In doing so, the Pink Ranger had sacrificed her birth parents - who had been turned from the loving couple everyone had known into demented villains. In reality, the pair had made the ultimate sacrifice a second time, choosing to save Sydney by giving up their lives yet again.

Sydney had also sacrificed the child that had been growing inside her. Kat shuddered at that. The child had been made between Syd and Sky, but Visvajita had managed to take the fetus, barely a week old, from inside Syd's womb and taint it before he'd put it back. If Syd had carried the baby to term, it surely would have killed her, because it had become pure evil. As it stood now, Sydney and Sky might have a ninety percent chance of having another sometime in the future. Of course, that was if Sydney ever woke up from the coma she was currently in.

The Pink Ranger's final sacrifice had been herself, for the good of everyone. She'd teleported the other four Rangers out of the exploding ship without their consent, and had stayed to make sure Visvajita was dead this time, really and truly dead. By some miracle, Sydney had survived the exploding ship and had been found by the B Squad Rangers a few hours later when S.P.D. had sent out search teams, just in case.

Since she'd been brought in, Syd had lay in a coma, her body slowly healing from the torturous set of events it had just been through. None of Syd's teammates had left her side for very long, Sky most of all. Cruger had had Kat give him a sedative after the first two days just so they knew he'd sleep.

As it was, the recent set of events had done more damage to the current A Squad than whatever Grumm had done to the previous A Squad. Kat had a feeling that eventually, Cruger would deem it necessary to take the kids off active Ranger duty, but to keep them on as instructors to the academy.

"KAT!" Z cried out, causing Kat's attention to focus in on Sydney, who was staring up at the ceiling, eyes open, breathing labored.

"Sydney?" Kat soothingly asked, not wanting to startle the Pink Ranger. "Don't try and talk, we've got a respirator tube in your throat. Give me about three minutes and we'll have it out, ok?"

The Pink Ranger shifted her gaze to Kat, her eyes full of tears, and nodded slightly. Kat turned to Z, who looked shocked and was openly crying herself.

"Z, go get everyone!" Kat commanded, knowing Syd would need a few minutes on her own once the tube was out.

The Yellow Ranger nodded, squeezed Syd's hand, and then rushed from the room.

Sky's eyes popped open, causing his shampoo to get into them. Quickly, the Blue Ranger rinsed off and got out of the shower, wondering what could have caused him to feel the odd burning sensation in his chest.

He noticed how oddly quiet it was in his room, and in the hallway beyond. Shaking his head, Sky finished wrapping the towel around his waist and moved out into his and Bridge's room to get dressed in his uniform. What...correction WHO, he saw sitting on his bed, holding his uniform, made his knees go weak.

"Sydney?"

Startled, the blonde looked up and then smiled. "Did I come at the wrong time?" she teased, gesturing to his towel and incredibly sexy wet body.

Sky rushed forward and scooped her into his arms. "Oh God! SYD!" he cried, wrapping his arms tight around her and burying his face in her neck. When she tightened her arms around him, Sky's control broke and he began sobbing.

Sydney held him as he cried, then managed to sit down on his bed so that his weight wasn't crushing her. Sky hit his knees in front of her, laying his head in her lap, trying to get his breathing under control. "I'm here, Sky, and I'm real," she whispered softly, instinctively knowing what he was thinking without him saying anything.

"When?"

"About an hour ago, I asked Z not to tell you until Kat let me get up and walk of my own accord," she smiled down on him, stroking her fingers through his wet hair and over his stubbly cheek. He looked so good, but the sight of him made her ache in ways she didn't want to exam too closely. She knew now, thanks to Kat, that Sky had known about her pregnancy even before she had, and that he'd also heard about her body miscarrying their child because of the evil energy Visvajita had injected into it.

"Oh God, Syd," he murmured, sitting up, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Sydney smiled at him, saw the loving shining from his eyes, but before she could put her truest desire at the moment into action, she had to know. "Sky?"

"Hmm?" he asked, smiling at her, trying to memorize her face.

"I'm sorry."

Sky knew why she was apologizing by the look in her eyes. He nodded, and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Sydney Drusilla Oliver Scott, and don't you dare doubt it for a minute."

She smiled through the tears welling in her eyes. "The baby..." she started, only to be silenced by Sky's finger.

"As much as we both wanted to have the baby, it would have killed you, Syd. Kat told me what he'd done; I know I wouldn't have survived without you. We'll make more; when we're ready, we'll have kids."

His words brought a hope for the future to her heart. Leaning forward, Sydney kissed him feverishly, releasing all the pent up emotions she'd been feeling since she'd left the academy.

Sky moaned when her lips assaulted his before he began giving back as good as he got. One hand moved to her neck, cupping it, so that she stayed close to him, while the other traversed her clothed curves, coming to rest just under her breast.

"Syd," he breathed out against her lips, his eyes looking into hers.

"Make love to me, Sky, please?"

Nodding, Sky pressed her back onto his bed, and the two lost themselves in one another.

"Bridge?" Z asked, startled that he'd stopped so suddenly in the doorway. Both she and Jack crashed into the Green Ranger, and then saw why he'd stopped.

"Awww," Jack smiled, seeing Syd and Sky curled up in the Blue Ranger's bed. The sheet was barely covering them to the waist, which would have been a bad thing for Bridge and Jack, but they couldn't see Sydney's breasts, as they were covered by her left arm, which was thrown across Sky's chest, and by Sky's arm, which was wrapped around Syd's back.

"That's so sweet it's sickening," Z giggled, causing the boys to nod. Turning back around, the trio went back to the common room, to wait until their friends got up.

All of the former Rangers of Earth, and even a few of their counterparts from other worlds, gathered a week later at a small lake settled in a large park in Angel Grove, California.

Sydney wore a long, flowing dress of pink and white, in honor of the two people who'd created her, who'd loved her so selflessly that they'd given their lives for her twice over. She stood between Sky and Z, and Bridge and Jack stood with them, each flanking her.

In her hands were half a dozen pink roses and half a dozen white ones. "Go ahead, Sydney," Sky whispered in her ear, telling her it was time. Stepping forward, the Pink Ranger let the roses fall into the lake, and watched them drift in the water as tears welled in her eyes.

"They were chosen by Zordon of Eltar for their courage, their honor, their deep sense of right and wrong, but most importantly, because he saw in them, a hope for a better future," Sydney started, reciting what she'd written only hours ago.

"She served longer than any other female Ranger, served under Zordon's command for three years, and under another's for longer. She was, always has been, and always will be the heart of the Power Rangers. She was the one who defined what it meant to be a Pink Ranger. And in her soul mate's moment of greatest need, she showed him the path of light."

"He is known as the legendary Ranger," Syd started, choking back the tears that wanted to fall. "He served longer than any of us will ever hope to serve; four years the first time, a year the second time, and nearly seven the third time. He was the most experienced warrior, and he had the biggest heart of us all. He redefined what it meant to be a Power Ranger, and he showed us what that entire legacy, and our parts in it, mean to this world, and to all the worlds touched by the Power Rangers."

"Forever, they will be remembered as the original power couple, the Shining Pink Crane, and the Mighty White Falcon. May their spirits soar together, forever."

Sniffling, Sydney looked up into the sky, closed her eyes, and smiled. "I love you, both. Thank you, for giving me life, two times over."

Stepping back, Sydney sought the shelter of her team, but more importantly the safe and warm circle of Sky's arms as two advisors to Ranger teams and 57 of 68 former Rangers who'd defended Earth took a moment, in silence, to honor Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart Oliver, and the sacrifices they'd made for their daughter, their friends and families, but more important, for their world and the Universe.

And while those gathered were staring up at the sky, they swore they could see the ghostly image of two figures standing together, behind them those had passed one before them, smiling down at them.

"May the power protect you."

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